Johnny Appleseed and the Apple Lamp
by Dibbiedoo
Summary: I love apples! How about you?


In the sandbox, behind a giant pyramid of stone a poor boy named Johnny Appleseed lived with his apples.  
  
One morning, while Johnny walked to the garbage can to look for apples, a well dressed stranger approached.  
  
"you there, boy! I wish to hire a boy to help me. I'll pay well!"  
  
Johnny thought happily of a few shiny new buckets to give his apples and quickly agreed. They set out across the playground.  
  
"Where are we going?" asked Johnny after they had skipped a long way.  
  
The stranger stopped and pointed. "There is the sacred sign! A camel made of rock apples!"  
  
The huge, odd-shaped rock lay on a mattress ahead. One side was split open by a worm. The stranger ran straight to the hole and shouted," Now, boy, earn your pay! I cannot squeeze in, but you, my young friend, are just the right size! Behind is an apple mine filled with fresh apples. There you will find the prize we seek- the magic lamp!"  
  
"Except…how will I find the Lamp?" asked Johnny.  
  
"Just get down those steps, the Lamp is beside the apple tree." The man's voice grew cold. "And boy, do not fail me. The wizard Haseem does not like to be disappointed."  
  
Johnny squeezed behind the hole and crept down the tiny steps. All throughout the apple mine were great buckets of apples and candy apples that were plied high. He wanted to run and jump through the delicious plies, except Haseem's yells warned him to keep skipping.  
  
His small torch gave light, but near the tree ahead, Johnny saw the dull gleam of a shiny red lamp. Tucking the Lamp in his gunny sack, Johnny quickly returned to the tiny stairs.  
  
Johnny climbed until he could see Haseem waiting outside with a short curved stick in his armpit. "Come out, my boy," Haseem called. "Give me the Lamp and I will reward you well."  
  
"So I see," said Johnny. "I do not think I want such payment! No, I'll stay right here."  
  
Haseem shouted until the break of dawn but finally he cried, "All right boy! So be it! Since you will not bring me the Lamp, you shall not come out thr0oughout your life!"  
  
Haseem spoke strange words and threw a handful of magic apple seeds in the hole. With a loud rumble, the sides of the camel's mouth began to slide together. As the crack closed, the wicked wizard began to laugh.  
  
Alone in the camel, Johnny sat on a bucket of apples and thought, "What a lot of time to waste for this worthless shiny, red lamp! Some treasure! It's so bright and tasteless, I don't think it would bring more than a few apples at the garbage can."  
  
Johnny started to rub some apple juice off the Lamp when a plume of red smoke suddenly poured from the spout. A blinding flash lit the cave and a voice like thunder spoke, "Who calls the Genie of the Apples?"  
  
Johnny rubbed his eyes and looked up in amazement. Floating before him, a foot above the bucket, was a huge man! He was as wide as Johnny was tall, and his thick green braid of leaves brushed the ceiling.  
  
"I said, who calls the Genie of the Apples?" roared the Genie.  
  
Johnny said, "Uh…well…I guess I did, sir. I am Johnny Appleseed."  
  
The Genie glared at the apple-loving boy, then slowly smiled. "Then, Lord Appleseed, you have called me from my cell. You are my new master! Name your desire and I shall grant your wish!"  
  
"Master, you say? Me?" asked Johnny.  
  
"I serve the Holder of the Lamp," the Genie explained, bowing to Johnny. "You've got the Lamp, so I serve you!"  
  
"Really! Well, for starters, how about getting us out of this rock apple camel? I want to go home!"  
  
"As you command," said the Genie.  
  
In a nutshell, Johnny stood outside his apples' door. He held the lamp in one hand, a small bag of candy apples in the other. The Genie was gone.  
  
Inside, Johnny told his apples the amazing tale, and showed them the candy apples as proof. But they only frowned.  
  
"This talk of wizards and Genies worries us, Johnny," the apples said.  
  
"Oh, apples! Don't you see? The Lamp will get us out of this huge sandbox. We'll feast every night! With the Apple Genie's help, I can do anything!"  
  
Johnny looked out the window at the Sultan's golden swingset. He smiled as he thought of Princess Cantaloupe, the Sultan's beautiful daughter. All of the kingdom spoke of the round girl, and of who might marry her. Johnny believed that Princess Cantaloupe was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  
  
He picked up his lamp and said, "Apples, tomorrow I will go to the Sultan's swingset and ask for Princess Cantaloupe's hand in marriage."  
  
The next morning, the playground woke to a great apple parade. Colorfully dressed apple musicians paraded up the broad street leading to the Sultan's swingset. Behind, one hundred strong ants carried one hundred red boxes, each filled with caramel apples with nuts. Leading the way, skipping proud and tall was Johnny Appleseed!  
  
The Sultan laughed at Johnny's request. "You want to marry my daughter!" he cried. "What kind of fruit can you give her?" Johnny clapped his hands and the treasure was brought in. As the boxes were opened, the Sultan stopped laughing and just smiled.  
  
The wedding was held the next day. The people cheered the handsome couple, and celebrated throughout the playground.  
  
For a while all was well, Johnny and Cantaloupe fell deeper in love each day, and the playground was at fruity peace.  
  
But, the wicked wizard of the west, Haseem, was not at peace! He had heard of the marriage, and swore revenge on Johnny for cheating him out of the red, shiny lamp. 


End file.
